♪ what did we learn on the show tonight, craig? ♪ [farts] [laughter] craig: we don't have any time. let's just do our thing quickly and get out of here. are you ready? geoff: yeah. craig:♪ here come the players they're so fine ♪ [applause] [ singing christmas carols in background ]

aunt sally's singing again. it's a tradition, honey. [ singing christmas carols ] mmmm. [ female announcer ] make new traditions with pillsbury grands! cinnamon rolls. faster than mandy can hang up on mr. monday. you hang up first. [ female announcer ] in just 60 seconds, you've got snack-defying, satisfying totino's pizza rolls. [ ringing ] it's on. let's roll.

cook. this was a tru good evening and merry christmas. i'm elizabeth cook. this was a true california christmas with heaping servings of rain and snow. the holiday storm isn't quite done yet. the rain totals and a look at what comes next. paul. >> a lot of folks in the bay area once again saw an additional inch of rainfall. most of that falling this evening. very active on the radar. want to start with the time lapses to show you how much rain has fallen. notice the last couple images there, including this live one, not as much going on. things are beginning to calm down now that the actual cold

front, the boundary has moved through. san jose, milpitas, campbell. you're getting a break. you are seeing the rain ending, but st. helena now the rain is just picking up. more than an inch of rainfall just today on christmas. nearly an inch of rainfall for both alameda and lafayette. things are starting to add up for this december. almost a half a foot of rainfall at sfo. this year we've seen 44 times more rainfall compared to just one year ago. so when does the rain move out and what when can do we see a prolonged dry period? i'll have the answer coming up. >> all right. look forward to it. thank you. on the peninsula. people who live along a creek have spent the last two days watching the water nervously.

a flood on sunday night pretty much ruined their holiday. >> reporter: some people tell me they've lost sleep worrying about this levee. the sandbags were stacked. people who live around here tell me they're taking the threat of another flood very seriously. >> has been a crazy couple days. >> reporter: a crazy couple of days for people who live in this east palo alto neighborhood. creek to go over its banks. water seeped through the levee, homes were evacuated. >> we have to leave everything behind. >> reporter: christmas eve residents returned while crews with the city worked through the night on repairs. wheeling in truckloads of sandbags. by christmas day hundreds lined the levee as more rain set in. even more sandbags were seen stacked outside of homes mixed in with holiday decorations. >> how high tide is coming.

>> kids wake up thinking they'll have to help their parents clean out their front yards and clean up the cars. they want to go outside and play with their gifts. >> reporter: people who live in this house were forced to spend christmas away from home. their house is unsafe because electrical outlets were affected. today they stayed low. the city is working with engineers on a long term solution and a project to increase the capacity of the creek should begin next year. until then, residents will be keeping a close eye on the levee. >> we had a bad christmas. so we was ready to let it go and not think about it any more. move on with life. >> aside from the sandbags crews excavated the areas around the leaks and refilled them. behind me is the creek. we've been keeping a close eye on it tonight. the water levels have remained

low. live in east palo alto. >> the storm has dumped a lot of snow. not everyone felt like fighting the traffic and the chain controls to get up there. some bay area families decided to head out right after opening up their presents and play in the first snow they found. >> 6:00 in the morning got ready. got all our stuff. and came out at 9:00. >> there's more snow than usual this went per. there's been a 140% increase in this year's snow pack. the extra snow has also meant extra danger out there on the slopes. a snow border was killed yesterday after being buried in an avenue launch at donor ski ranch. a search dog found him under 2 to 3 feet of snow.

>> his friends the other friends that were going to be at our group were looking for him but didn't find him. >> officials at al pine say veteran ski patroller bill foster decide in an avalanche yesterday. an explosive used to start avalanches broke a slide much higher and wider than expected. even though foster was under the snow for less than 10 minutes he died later. you can track the storm any time with our high def doppler radar. storm warnings are in place tonight for much of the nation's midsection. the national weather service says that some parts of upstate new york and pennsylvania could see up to 2 feet of snow creating whiteout conditions and forecasters are warning states in the gulf to brace for tornadoes. the weather is complicating travel plans for people trying to get home. airlines have delayed and

canceled flights in and out of many hubs. president obama is cutting his hawaiian vacation short to get back to fiscal cliff talks in washington. the country is a week away from tax increases and deep spending cuts that will be triggered without an agreement. the next move will likely fall on democratic senate leader harry reid. it's a scary statistic for recent college graduates. the number of young californians with degrees working in restaurants or retail has nearly doubled over the last five years. grace lee tells us these are the same people who have expensive college loans to pay off. >> reporter: when you're shopping this holiday season or eating out, take a look around. you might notice a lot more people under 30 working those jobs. according to the census bureau there are about 260,000 young adults with college degrees in

california taking work in food service and retail because they can't get anything else. >> pretty sad now. >> reporter: roary graduated with a computer science degree. >> i graduated with my bachelors in 2009 and my first job was at a retail store. at first it was kind of embarrassing. >> i couldn't get a job in the field i wanted to. i figured i have to go to law school to get where i wanted to be. >> reporter: even with a higher degree it is still tough. bill song is still. >> college and he's worried about his future because his friends have been forced to take jobs they don't even want. >> all my friends have a hard time. all of my friends with high degrees working at mcdonalds or some places like that, the higher jobs are harder to get nowadays. >> reporter: with a low paying job it's harder for the college grads to pay back student loans. those bills are stacking up. >> one my friends bar tends and works at a restaurant just

trying to pay off the lobes she got. >> reporter: maria has a 4-year- old and she's worried about what kind of world her daughter will face. >> it's really distressing. i got out of school in the early 90s. it was a tough market then, but not the way it is now. >> reporter: with all these college graduates in restaurants and retail shops, what about the people who don't have degrees? apparently they historically took these jobs and now they're finding it nearly impossible to get into the job market. not easy if you don't have experience. >> one of the positive signs has been the housing market. in november construction on new homes was up 22% from a year ago. in california you may be surprised at who is buying. ben tracy has more. >> this is the busy time of year. >> this is when all the grapes come in. >> reporter: scott meadows.

there's a good reason he put that american bald eagle on the bottle. >> kind of nationalistic. that was a specific request from our owners in china. looking to bring parts of america to china. >> reporter: chinese investors bought this vineyard and now 90% of the wine is shipped to china. what do they want with a vineyard in napa valley? >> there's a big demand for luxury goods. rather than buying chinese-made products and sending our money l they're buying american made products and sending their money back over here. >> reporter: and the jobs stay here. >> yes. >> reporter: chinese firms flush with cash have invested $16.4 billion in the u.s. in the past decade. $1.3billion in california companies. $560million in just the past year. the chinese are boosting the golden states housing recovery.

they bought one out it have every ten homes sold in the past year. >> compare to high end housing like in beijing, this is not that expensive. >> reporter: a student at the university of southern california. his parents bought him this yearly $1 million condo. they thought renting a dorm room was a waste of money. >> my parents decide to buy me a house as a investment outside china. >> reporter: jim jacobson has sold 22% of the residents to affluent chinese. >> they don't have a place to put their money. they look at their own economy as a place where it's not very stable. the housing market is not very stable either. >> reporter: so this housing complex is being built for chinese buyers. separate wok cooking rooms. no unlucky fours in the addresses. back in napa scott says chinese

wealth is an opportunity, not a threat for american business. >> america's known for quality. >> reporter: after all that eagle is on the bottle because what so many chinese want is something made in the usa. ben tracy, cbs news, napa valley. >> on this christmas day, a san francisco tradition 30 years running as neighbors take time to help struggling neighbors. >> many of them are strangers. like $500. >> a family dog home and healthy for the holidays. how shasta was saved by total strangers. >> more directly than -- >> an unforgettable holiday >> an unforgettable holiday gift for a bay ,,,,,,,,,,

better for thousands-- and y was no e for decades memorial church in frank has made christmas better for thousands. today was no exception. more than 5000 people were served a christmas meal. the church and the tenderloin is a symbol of hope for many. not just during the holidays but year round. >> people will understand that all of us together make it happen. if we are separated and isolated we can't make it together. >> they've served the community with free meals and services

for more than 30 years. church depends on donations. tonight a young bay area couple is thanking anonymous donors for saving their dog. christin ayers on how complete strangers saved a husky and the family's christmas. >> reporter: it was two weeks to christmas when nick and lindsay abdomennerson realized their 7-month-old siberian husky had escaped from their backyard. >> she started barking at the back door. and she was hurt. couldn't walk. she was dragging her paw. she was crying. >> reporter: shasta had been hit by a car. her pelvis was broken in three places and surgery was going to cost $5000. >> can't afford that. >> reporter: the andersons knew the only other option would be putting shasta down. so they got on craigslist

hoping to find someone who could afford to take care of shasta. instead they found mary. >> her guardian angel. >> reporter: who worked with lindsay to set up this fundraising site. mary, whom the andersons have never met, even spread the word on facebook urging foal strangers to give money. >> one day it was $720, the next morning it was at $1300. almost doubled. >> we were shocked and grateful. many of them are strangers. like donating $500, someone we don't even know. >> reporter: within four days the site had racked up $3300. enough for doctors to go ahead with the surgery just days before christmas. the andersons are still trying to raise the last $1300 on giveforward.com but shasta is recovering. >> we're just grateful there are people out there willing to give to a puppy.

>> reporter: and that, they say, is priceless. >> a berkeley fiction writer is the winner of the saturday evening post's first ever great american fiction contest. cbs 5 reporter linda yee says the magazine has been quietly trying to change its image to keep up with modern times. >> reporter: thoughts of the saturday evening post bring those iconic covers to mind. inside some of the best short stories published. >> jim looked over his shoulder. >> reporter: berkeley author reads a passage from her story wolf. the winning entry of the magazine's first ever great american fiction contest. >> i feel a little plucked out of obscurity. i've had a small audience for a number of years. >> reporter: her story won a cash prize and publication in next month's edition of the

post. >> that howling wolf spoke to his heart. >> reporter: her work follows some of the greatest story tellers fostered by the magazine. >> i don't know if i fit in that bunch. jack london is in there. i'm excited to be a part of that stream of authors that the saturday evening post has published. >> reporter: this is to find the next generation of great authors. the post is changing its image. moving from traditional to the modern cover look on the right. she's at work on her new novel and she hopes the start of a bigger audience. >> i love capturing who we are and what our nuttiness is. >> reporter: and that's not necessarily fiction. in berkeley, linda yee, cbs 5. >> it's all about the rainfall

here. but the snow in the sierra. more snow coming up tonight and tomorrow. there's a winter weather advisory in effect. ski resorts liking receiving 8 to 16 inches more snow. when do we say it's time to change the way we clean. it's time to free ourselves from the smell and harshness of bleach. and free ourselves from worrying about the ones we love. new lysol power & free has more cleaning power than bleach. how? the secret is the hydrogen peroxide formula. it attacks tough stains and kills 99.9% of germs. new lysol power & free. powerful cleaning that's family friendly. another step forward in our mission for health.

the rain couldn't dampen the holiday spirit at great america theme park today. the park celebrated its second global winter wonderland. it features a chinese lantern festival including a 70-foot

lighted christmas tree lantern. the show runs through the weekend after new years. paul, we survive add relatively wet and snowy christmas. >> i see a big pattern change coming up. by 2013 we'll dry out. thankfully is in the extended forecast. we're not talking about two, three months from now. there's a change coming. we have the rain out there tonight. here's a look at doppler. widespread heavy rainfall? no, it's gone. but we still have areas of moderate rainfall. right over the top of fremont. you'll see heavy showers. moving from southwest to northeast. which means -- eventually out toward davis along highway 80. we'll be seeing heavier showers. chilly day. only 55 degrees. napa, 54. you were the warm spot. san francisco and sa know ma didn't even make it to 50 degrees today.

the clouds that prevented us from getting warm during the day will also prevent us from getting cold tonight. san jose, 45. san francisco down to 48 degrees. leveling off where you've been. in december, it's time year now, winter where we get pacific storms. there'll be storms basketting the west coast. last year we didn't see one storm in december. this december we have storm track stuck pretty much right into northern california. every time there's a storm or front moving through we've been getting significant rainfall. today was no exception. the question is, when is the next storm? it'll get here on friday. between now and then, all day thursday we're dry. another storm will move in bringing back some rain for friday and saturday. after that we really dry out. heaviest rainfall is done. we'll still be wet at times. scattered showers out there tomorrow morning. rain moves out by tomorrow afternoon.

san jose tomorrow 55. santa clara 55. mountain view 55. danville, 54 degrees. downtown san francisco, 53 degrees. extended forecast. dry on thursday. rain one more time friday and saturday. nothing too heavy. prolonged break. sunday and monday, first day of 2013 and likely well beyond that we will be mainly dry. get to sunday, we'll see a big pattern change. that's your cbs 5 forecast. >> some key nba plays from the day. we have five games. we have five games. and 'tis the season, a top ,,,,, [ game announcer ] touchdown! and here comes the dunk.

[ male announcer ] everyone loves to dunk. ♪ [ game announcer ] will he dunk it? yes, he will. [ male announcer ] mcdonald's tender, juicy chicken mcnuggets in creamy ranch and spicy buffalo sauce. just $4.99 for 20 of your favorite chicken mcnuggets. ♪ [ game announcer ] will he dunk it? yes, he will. [ male announcer ] more ways to love mcnuggets. the nba has become a christmas tradition.

five games scheduled. time only permits me to tiptoe through three. lebron james and the heat. a finals rematch for the thunder's kevin durant. second quarter. forget the mike miller mess. lebron james with the emphatic dunk. third quarter. 33. okc is up and down one. under 30 to go. the heat go on to win 103-97. carmelo anthony and the orange clad knicks at the lakers. it makes two to make a thing go right. pau gasol to dwight howard. lakers up early. melo stops, pops, buckets. 34. the knicks up 8. not enough. lakers come back. kobe with 3 of his 34. look out for the los angeles lakers. they win 100-94. former warrior now clipper

in his christmas sweater? blake griffin. a big boy dunk against the nuggets who were in town. that's the christmas thing. they like to dunk a lot. jordan into it. l.a. wins 112-100. not the same old paper clip. usf in hawaii taking on east tennessee state. mark gets the follow dunk off the miss. game is tied early. late first half. forget about it, he 19. final of 69-47. now the tuesday night top five with a seasonal theme. seasonal names. number five, here we go, kansas city chiefs wide receiver duane bow, the gift that keeps on giving. do it big fella. number four, cardinals matt

holiday, no magic when he ran into the giants in the playoffs. how about number three, david frost. yes, big moments, big shots. david frost. number two, vikings tight end kyle rudolph without the red nose. he scored twice against the 49ers early in the ear. and number one -- christmas. he's now playing pro ball for a he's now playing pro ball for a russian ,,,,

jack! what happened? me and jason came back with drinks and all 20 nuggets were gone. we got nugged. there was a nugging. this guy just came running up... dip! dip! dip! shoveling 'em into his face! give me your nuggets- -we're like "no! save some for our boyfriends!" need more nuggets? jack's crispy, all-white meat chicken nuggets come with a choice of seven awesome sauces. an order of 20 is only $4.99 we should probably call the cops. i'll just get you more nuggets. no, thanks, i'm stuffed.

tomorrow morning at 4-30. david letterman is next. our next newscast is tomorrow morning at 4:30. better be there. merry christmas. ,, úñ?